Stampede ECS
The Stampede ECS (originally the Stampede ECS-18) is an electronic clip system Nerf blaster. It was released on September 9, 2010 under the N-Strike series. The Stampede is fully automatic, but can be fired single by holding the trigger for a small time. It is powered by six "D" batteries. Nerf released a campaign to promote the release of the blaster called the Clear Series, which features N-Strike blasters with clear plastic cases. The Stampede comes packaged with a Blast Shield, a pop-out bipod/foregrip, three eighteen dart clips, one six dart clip and sixty Streamline Darts. Details Unique to this blaster is the way it primes and fires. Its internals push forward first. In doing so, the dart to be fired is pushed into the breach, and the blaster is primed simultaneously. Then the piston is released to fire the dart using a mechanical equivalent of a slam fire trigger. Then a return spring (the visible black spring) resets the firing mechanism, letting a new dart rise up the clip. It should be noted that because of its firing mechanism, darts that are not loaded perfectly will become damaged. Consistent use will result in dart missing small pieces on the rear. This does not seem to affect the blaster itself (it will affect accuracy, however). The Stampede has six tactical rails on it; two are covered when the Blast Shield is attached to the blaster. Color schemes The Stampede comes in the following color schemes: *Standard (yellow/black/orange) *Sonic (clear green) Review Range - 7/10 - This blaster generally shoots around twenty-five to thirty-five feet. However, range decreases a slight bit due to the firing mechanism not fully closing the dart 'breech', as well as using inconsistent Streamline Darts. Accuracy - 10/10 - Like most clip system blasters, the Stampede uses Streamlines, so accuracy sometimes wavers. But because of its barrel and high rate of fire, it can shoot with high accuracy. Reliability - 7/10 - This blaster shouldn't jam unless bad darts or drums are used. Sometimes the blaster has a part in the firing mechanism that can cause darts to get jammed. However, if the darts are inserted correctly, it is not likely to jam. Low battery power can also make the Stampede less reliable. The Stampede can only be used if powered by batteries. It cannot be manually fired. It is best if the battery is alkaline. Rate - 9/10 - The Stampede fires around three darts a second when using fresh batteries. The blaster has a short lag between priming itself and firing the dart, not long, but enough to give warning to a dart being fired. It is possible for certain batteries to change the speed of the Stampede. Capacity - 10/10 - The blaster holds eighteen darts per extended clip. The Stampede includes three of these, and a standard six dart clip. General - 8.9/10 - The Stampede is a well-rounded blaster that should do CQB, making it almost a jack-of-all-trades blaster. The lag when firing darts handicaps the Stampede's abilities to do a close quarter combat, but it will become an excellent assault weapon when it comes to medium-close combat. Trivia *This blaster is somewhat similar to the Vulcan EBF-25, in the manner that they are the only fully automatic battery operated blasters sold by Nerf currently (excluding the Nitron and the Speedswarm). *Some people confuse this with the Stampede REV-12, a blaster featured in the Nerf N-Strike video game. The only similarities between the two are the names. Some other people confuse this with the Spartan NCS-12 due to the extensive similarities as well. *At its 49.99 USD + GBP starting price, this is the most expensive Nerf blaster in the United States and the United Kingdom. *The Stampede ECS is one of the heaviest Nerf blasters. Most of the weight is located at the rear of the blaster where the batteries are held, meaning that the center of gravity is backwards from standard firing position. This can be mitigated by adding weight to the front in the form of attachments, but will overall increase the weight. *The commercial for the Stampede is the longest one for any N-Strike blaster. *Shaking the unmodified blaster while firing in full auto stops the blaster from firing. *Volt modification for this blaster is limited by its ability to mechanically fire, not the failure of its electrical parts. Recommended voltage is from 12 to 16 volts, but be warned, over heating and jamming problems may then occur more if fired for too long. *It should be noted that the Stampede drains much more power from the batteries than the Vulcan making it a bit more unreliable. Gallery Stampede4.jpg|The back of the Stampede's packaging. Stampede2.jpg|Internals of the Stampede. Stampede1.jpg|A back view of the Stampede. Stampede ECS Iron Sights.jpg|A view down the Stampede's built in Iron Sights. Stampede.JPG|Stampede ECS External links * Stampede ECS on the Nerf website *Stampede ECS instructions on the Hasbro website Category:Nerf blasters Category:Dart blasters Category:Electronic blasters Category:Single fire blasters Category:Automatic Blaster Category:N-Strike Category:Flywheel System